Is the THE MATRIX really a reference disk? (1 Viewer)

[Vaughan]

Can anyone tell me if there is deep bass in this movie or if I just have inferior equipment. I've been told that the movie has got very deep bass for the fight scenes, but i'm beginning to think that is a little unrealistic, please give some info or share a thought regarding this?

 

[Brett DiMichele]

If you want a disk to use as reference...

Star Wars T.P.M

and

Star Wars A.O.T.C

If your sub doesn't go "Pop" on either of those then there
isn't anything else out there that is going to do it!

 

[Phil_DC]

Lord Of The Rings also has some good bass.

I recently watched a movie called "Brotherhood of the Wolf" it to has some real good bass.

 

[Steve_Ma]

My Opinion: The Matrix is a reference disk because it makes good use of all the channels/speakers. I think the bass is good...It's just not the "rattle your fillings out" type of low and frequent bass many people want to see in their reference disks.

If I remember correctly...I think there is some crazy deep bass in the fight scenes between Neo and Morpheus (I know Kung-Fu?). Visually, those scenes are pretty wild as well.

--Steve

 

[Bill Mullin]

Try "The Soldier" - not the best known DVD around, but the deep bass (lots of it) will rattle your fillings!

- Bill

 

[Dustin B]

I think The Haunting DTS is still the king of the loudest deepest bass. Followed closely by Titan A.E with the two newest StarWars movies right up there too. I didn't experience anything terribly low in Brother Hood of the Wolf. Loud yes, low not really.
The battery factory stuff, the helicopter explosion and the end scene where Neo flexes the walls in the Matrix have some excessive deep bass.
If you haven't seen these before go look around. It's to bad Tom doesn't have time to rerun a lot of them with the latest version of spectralab. The new 3D time/frequency/amplitude waterfalls look so cool.
http://www.svsubwoofers.com/faq.htm#moviedemos
Also keep in mind the majority of subs can't play much of anything in these graphs below 30hz.

 

[Marcus Lewis]

Jurrassic Park 3 baby!! T-Rex vs Spinosauraus!
oh and Haunting DTS ...

 

[Edward J M]

The Matrix has very deep and (at times) also very loud bass in several sections.

"I Know Kung Fu":

Many of the body punches, kicks, and drops are in the 30's with extension down into the 20's - none of them are really that loud, but they can all be felt with a really good sub. The synthesized bass is also pretty deep - in the mid to low 30's.

The Morpheus knee slam on the floor is centered around 35 Hz, but has strong decay fundamentals way down into the low 20's and is very, VERY high in amplitude. Most subs play the initial hit well, but only the best subs will play the ultra deep 1/2-second room decay that follows - it literally pressurizes the room.

"Helicoptor Crash":

Very loud rolling bass centered in the mid 30's, with some extension into the upper 20's. Again, a decent sub will play most of the crash, but the best subs will dig out the deeper stuff with more authority.

"Lobby Shootout":

The chest punch on the guard is around 40 Hz, but is high in amplitude - this should hit you pretty solidly in the gut.

"Shootout with Agent Smith":

When Neo and Agent Smith fall to the ground after missing each other with their handguns and locking arms, that drop is VERY deep (mid 20's) and also pretty loud. Crank up the volume on this scene and see if your sub even tries to play this drop. It has a long and very impressive room decay.

Attack of the Sentinels:

Whenever the Sentinels latch onto and start cutting into the Nebuchaneezer, there is a lot of very deep (high 20's), visceral bass - like the ship's entire hull is reverberating. Also the EMF blast to knock them out is very strong and pretty deep (in the 30's).

Summary:

This is definitely a bass reference DVD if your sub is up to it. If your sub isn't flat to at least 25 Hz (preferably even deeper), you are missing some of the best bass on the Matrix.

Regards,

Ed

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Vaughn what type of equipment do you have and how have you calibrated it?

Do you run your speakers in large or small setting? Small settings redirects bass-LFE to your subwoofer that is below a cutoff point - usually 90 or khz.

Without proper setup none of the above demo scenes will have the impact everyone is talking about.

 

[Vaughan]

Lou , I have mission m73 fronts, m72 for surrounds, m7c center and a harman kardon avr400 reciever. My subwoofer is a rel q100e. I use small speakers all round. 80 hrZ crossover, but I still get no bass that i can feel, at least no with this movie

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

The other alternatives suggested above are pretty much THE reference discs for low end (Episode I, The Haunting, and Titan AE, and Fellowship of the Rings are my favorites). The Matrix has great scenes noted above, but my best demo scene from that disc is when Neo is unloading the chain gun during Morpheus' rescue. There is a low shot looking up and the sound of the ejected shells around you is really amazing. Great demo for surround.
What you DO NOT want to do is use The Matrix as a video demo for accurate color.

 

[BrentPollard]

I'd like to use this opportunity to ask if we are starting to go a little nuts over the bass issue. I understand that it adds some dramatic tension to a movie but is it maybe getting out of hand. In TFOTR when they are in the mines of Moria there is the scene when Gandalf has to sit and think about which path to take. During that scenr Frodo and Gandalf have a conversation concerning Bilbo and Smeagol. Well on my system there is a constant rumbling going on that I find unrealistic. I mean these guys surrounded by solid rock, I've worked underground and when all the machines are quiet there aint no rumbling goin' on. I find this with many movies now a days, there just seems to be this constant low level rumble all the time. Now having said that I have not calibrated my system with a SPL meter yet.

 

[Eric Lipp]

I think that my new favorite surround demo is the THX intro from Monsters, Inc. (MOOOO!)
There are also some good surround scenes throughout the movie.
Men in Black 2 also has several scenes with great surround usage (around 44-50 minutes, I think it is).

I would also agree that Attack of the Clones has great bass (beginning ship fly-bys, Obi Wan vs Jango, the Siesmic Charges in the asteroids, and almost any time someone turns on a lightsaber). Also, Lord of the Rings (when Sauron explodes at the beginning) is a nice demo. I think the DTS version is smoother on that explosion, though.

~Eric

 

[NickSo]

The matrix WAS an excellent reference disc, but better discs came along and out-did it...
However thats not to say the matrix isn't as good, its still got some of the BEST use of all channels, and some nice deep bass... Mmmm lobby shootout scene

 

[Vaughan]

Lou , I have mission m73 fronts, m72 for surrounds, m7c center and a harman kardon avr400 reciever. My subwoofer is a rel q100e. I use small speakers all round. 80 hrZ crossover, but I still get no bass that i can feel, at least no with this movie

 

[Vaughan]

I just wanted to know if there is any deep bass(sub 20hz or lower) when neo kicks agent smith when he discovers that he is the one.I think it is chapter 34.Please anyone ??

 

[Declan]

wonder if this conversation will come back to haunt us in a years time when Reloaded comes out on disc.

As for me: LOTR dts, U-571, Saving private ryan....... all great bass testers.

But the bit in the Matrrix which (for me anyway) that went really low on the bass was at the start when Trinity does that big jump in the air a the camera pans around her. Really LOW that actually.

 

[Kevin M]

What!! Are you KIDDING??? That was, like, released a WHOLE THREE YEARS AGO!!! DVD's are so much better nowadays.....

 

[CristianManieri]

I gotta agree with the previous speaker. This was some cool stuff three years ago, but today almost every action flick outdoes it. At least in some respects, I can't really vouch for them super-low frequencies.

My demos are mainly EpI: TPM and LOTR

 

[Kevin M]

.............(Dr. Evil) Riiiiight.